The new Global Framework of Reference (QGR) of the NHS predicts that family doctor coverage will remain stagnant at 85.3% of the population until 2028. This forecast indicates that there will be no significant improvements in the assignment of family doctors to users who still do not have one.
Public health service workers are expected to exceed 160,000 by 2028, according to the document's estimates. This data comes in the context of the NHS human resources projections for the coming years.
The QGR thus establishes targets for the evolution of the Portuguese public health system, including indicators related to the staffing of professionals and the accessibility of citizens to primary healthcare. The stagnation in family doctor coverage represents a challenge for the NHS, given that a significant portion of the population will continue without an assigned family doctor.
